She was a star, now she is adrift at sea

The crew of the Lyubov Orlova, which was seized by Canadian authorities on Sept. 25, 2010, pose for a photo on Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ho-Mike Wert

The abandoned cruise ship Lyubov Orlova, named after a star of Soviet cinema, is now drifting away from Canada. However, the wake of controversy following the darling of the seas has already struck our shore.

The federal Opposition says it is irresponsible of Canada to abandon a derelict Russian cruise ship that's now drifting in the North Atlantic.

NDP transport critic Olivia Chow said that Transport Canada never should have allowed the Lyubov Orlova to be towed out of port in St. John's, N.L., in the dead of winter.

"Just because the ship is now drifting in international waters, it's still the Canadian government that gave it the authority to tow the ship," Chow said in an interview.

The empty, 237-passenger cruise ship was being pulled to the Dominican Republic for scrap when its tow line snapped in rough seas on Jan. 23.

Efforts to reattach the cable failed, and Transport Canada ordered the tugboat Charlene Hunt back to port a few days later.

An offshore supply ship from Husky Energy was sent to tow the Lyubov Orlova away from oil platforms last week, and Transport Canada issued a statement Saturday saying the vessel had drifted into international waters.

The release said the ship was not expected to re-enter Canadian waters and Transport Canada would not be pursuing the vessel, adding that the owners of the ship remain responsible for its movements.